A man wears a protective face mask as he walks past the emergency department of the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, B.C. Friday, April 3, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

WINNIPEG — Health facilities in the province will begin increasing surgical activities that were postponed over the past four weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning next week, non-urgent surgical and diagnostics procedures will resume at the Health Sciences Centre, the Pan Am Clinic, Concordia Hospital, Misericordia Health Centre, Grace Hospital, St. Boniface Hospital, Victoria General Hospital, Boundary Trails Health Centre, Selkirk Regional Health Centre and Brandon General Hospital.

Lanette Siragusa, chief nursing officer with Shared Health, says procedures will include neurosurgery, vascular surgery, urgent cataract procedures, orthopaedic and cancer cases.

St. Boniface Hospital and HSC will be increasing capacity by two operating rooms beginning Monday.

“Surgeries will be scheduled for the most urgent cases first and all necessary precautions, including point of care testing, appropriate PPE and limiting the number of staff in the room to those who are essential for patient care, will be taken to protect staff and patients from the risk of COVID-19,” the province said in a release.

Patients will be contacted directly about scheduling their surgery.

One new COVID-19 case

The province on Friday also announced an additional case of COVID-19, bringing the province’s total to 263.

Seven people remain in hospital, including three in intensive care. There are 61 active cases and 196 people have recovered.

Six people have died.

As of Thursday, an additional 786 laboratory tests were performed. This brings the total number of tests performed since early February to 22,172.

Manitoba diverting medical equipment to Ontario, Quebec

Manitoba is diverting 100 vital sign monitors to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Ontario and Quebec have been two of the hardest-hit provinces in Canada in the fight against COVID-19.

The province says the equipment was to arrive in Manitoba next week, but has another shipment expected in about a month. Each vital monitor costs about $3,000.

“Manitoba is early in the response to COVID-19 and clinical leaders are confident the province is able to provide this assistance without risk to Manitobans,” the province said.

Any person concerned about their exposure to or risk of having COVID-19 should call Health Links — Info Santé at (204) 788-8200 or at 1-888-315-9257 to be screened to see if a test is required.

Watch Friday’s media briefing:

Further information on COVID-19 can be found at Manitoba.ca/covid19.